Former President Bill Clinton warned a group of top Democratic donors at a private Saturday meeting not to underestimate the passions that gun control stirs among many Americans.

“Do not patronize the passionate supporters of your opponents by looking down your nose at them,” Clinton said.

“A lot of these people live in a world very different from the world lived in by the people proposing these things,” Clinton said. “I know because I come from this world."

Clinton dedicated a substantial portion of his 40-minute address before a joint meeting of the Obama National Finance Committee and a group of business leaders to the issue of guns and gun control, saying that it was a test-case for President Barack Obama’s grass-roots movements.

“The way the Obama campaign won Florida, won Ohio, won this election by more than projected was the combination of technology, social media and personal contact,” Clinton said. That’s “the only way that our side will ever be able to even up the votes in the midterms and as these issues come up, really touch people and talk to them about it.”

Obama begins his second term facing an uphill battle on gun control — an emotional, divisive and difficult issue that the cool and pragmatic Obama would usually avoid.

Obama took 23 executive actions this week to curb gun violence, but his key proposals will need a vote from Congress to become law. With a GOP House unlikely to take up any new gun control measures — and even some Democrats expressing wariness — his only recourse is to make his case directly to the public.

Clinton said that Republicans have been struggling in presidential politics since 1992 — noting that 2004 was the only time a Republican has won the popular vote in more than 20 years. But, he said, the party has been successful in energizing its supporters for midterm elections.

“You have the power to really democratize America,” Clinton said. “You can do it on immigration reform, you can do it on these economic issues. You can do it on implementing the health care bill.”

But, Clinton warned, the issue of guns has a special emotional resonance in many rural states — and simply dismissing pro-gun arguments is counterproductive.

While some polls show that the public by-and-large supports several proposals for increased gun control, Clinton said that it’s not the public support that matters — it’s how strongly people feel about the issue.

“All these polls that you see saying the public is for us on all these issues — they are meaningless if they’re not voting issues,” Clinton said.

Are you idiots really praising Bill here? All he did was insult gun owners by saying "all they have is hunting and fishing". And even stomped on their faces by implying they are ignorant rubes who "don't know any differently."

Yes! If only they could escape those wretched, backwater rural holes and head to tolerance-Ville in the big city! Then they could be like Billly themselves - once lost......but now found.

He is? In what ways? He has his home in NYC now. He spends nearly all his time there or along the Eastern seaboard. Does he hunt or fish or drive a truck or go to NASCAR races or country concerts? I'd be curious to know how he still qualifies as a country boy.

Are you idiots really praising Bill here? All he did was insult gun owners by saying "all they have is hunting and fishing". And even stomped on their faces by implying they are ignorant rubes who "don't know any differently."

Yes! If only they could escape those wretched, backwater rural holes and head to tolerance-Ville in the big city! Then they could be like Billly themselves - once lost......but now found.

You're purposely over simplifying his comments, but if that's the way you see it that's fine.

To me he clearly gets it when it comes to the emotion Gun Control invokes with the masses, their intellect isn't in question at all. His terminology could have been a little better, but it's fine if people want to pick out pieces to suit his obvious moderate and sensible position.

You're purposely over simplifying his comments, but if that's the way you see it that's fine.

To me he clearly gets it when it comes to the emotion Gun Control invokes with the masses, their intellect isn't in question at all. His terminology could have been a little better, but it's fine if people want to pick out pieces to suit his obvious moderate and sensible position.

^

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"As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind I'd still be in prison."

But it is a false equivalency, and the main point isn't even really true. For someone "anti-abortion" there's really no room for compromise, no middle ground. Abortions are either legal or they aren't.

For a "gun control" advocate, there's plenty of middle ground. What is gun control anyway--that could just mean a background check, which is widely supported. It could mean sales restrictions to regulations on ammo capacities to types of guns, etc. There's a huge middle ground and much more likely that a compromise is possible.

But it is a false equivalency, and the main point isn't even really true. For someone "anti-abortion" there's really no room for compromise, no middle ground. Abortions are either legal or they aren't.

For a "gun control" advocate, there's plenty of middle ground. What is gun control anyway--that could just mean a background check, which is widely supported. It could mean sales restrictions to regulations on ammo capacities to types of guns, etc. There's a huge middle ground and much more likely that a compromise is possible.

Using "anti abortion" is the same as using "anti gun." The people who are against abortion still (from what I see) will accept it is an alternative in a variety of situations, depending on their beliefs.

__________________

"As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind I'd still be in prison."

You're purposely over simplifying his comments, but if that's the way you see it that's fine.

To me he clearly gets it when it comes to the emotion Gun Control invokes with the masses, their intellect isn't in question at all. His terminology could have been a little better, but it's fine if people want to pick out pieces to suit his obvious moderate and sensible position.

Wow, I see someone wasn't following politics when he was Prez. He was a major gun grabber when he got in, and the NRA ate his lunch in 1994. Thereby losing the South permanently for his Party. Bill never liked guns. Was never a hunter. That's a simple and obvious fact.